Game.



G. B. SMITH.

GAME.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 10, 1914.

WITNESSES: INVQVTOR 6% George BbmiTh 2&2 1/ fl A TTOfM/EYS v FFICE.

GEORGE B. SMITH, or WALDWIGK, new JERSEY.

GAME.

7 ing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to games, and particularly to a game adapted to be played by a number of players, and has for an object the provision of an improved arrangement whereby all of the players have an equal chance but where an unwise move by an opponent will be liable to produce disastrous consequences.

Another object in View is to provide an improved game wherein two or more may play at the same time with movable men adapted to .act on theorder of checkers but with different moves so that more than two persons may play and have equal chances of winning.

A further object of the invention is to' provide a game in which men-are moved from one point to the other across a given board, the board being provided with a central battleground, and with side fields from which the various players move their men during the playing operation.

In the accompanying drawingsFigure 1 is a top plan view of a board formed according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the men used onthe board shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numerals, 1 indicates a board which may be of an desired material, and on which is arrange a plurality of blocks as shown in Fig. 1. These blocks are made alternating, somewhat on the order of the arrangement of the black and white spots on an ordinary checkerboard. The checker arrangement is so constructed as to provide acentral battleground 2 for a game, and side fields 3, 4, 5 and 6. Any desired number of colored blocks 7 may be arranged in the battlefield 2 and spaced apart by the usual white blocks 8, while in the various fields 3 to 6, inclusive, a number of rows of blocks 7 are provided, a desirable number of rows being four, though a greater or less number could be used. A pair of lines 9 and 10 are provided for dividing the battleground 2 I and practically assigning certain sections to the respective side fields 3, 4, 5 and 6. The battleground 2 is also separated from the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 10, 1914. so'riarno. 876,420.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

is adapted to be played by a number of persons at one time, as for instance two, four or five. In pla ing the game the men 13, 14, 15, 16 and 1 are used for the first part of the game and the men 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 are used as kings during the latter part of the game whenever a player wins a certain number of points.

Various rules may be provided without departing from the spirit of the invention. For instance, when only two players are using the board the battleground 2 is used as an ordinary checkerboard, though if desired other arrangements may be used, as

for instance the use of the fields v4: and 5, one

field acting against the other. When four persons are playing and acting independently three rows of men are first arranged in each of the fields, the same occupying the three outer rows of blocks. Various rules maybe provided controlling a game of this kind, a desirable rule being that the players of any given field, as for instance field 5,

. must play toward field 4, while field 4 must will lead them to said edge. When four parties are using the board and are playing partners, the partners will use, for instance, fields-3 and 5, while the'opposite partners will use fields 4 and 6. When playing in this order the field 5 may play against either -or both of the fields 4 and 6, but cannot move past that part of lines 9 and 10 within the angle formed by the points 23, 24 and 25. The other fields are given a similar privilege in respect to battleground 2 in front thereof. When any of the men of either side reach the last row of blocks or king row of the opposite party, one of the kings 18 to 20, inclusive, is substituted for the men used. For instance, if the block 13 had reached the king row of the opposite party the same would be removed and block 22 substituted therefor, which would be what is known as a rover, and allowed to move in any direction on the entire board.

Where five persons are designed to play at one time one party may use the blocks in the central section provided by line 12. A manis provided on each block while the various fields 3 to 6 are provided with two rows of blocks or men. This form of game is one of elimination, and the idea is to consider the men within line 12 as kings and capable of moving in any direction, but incapable of going beyond the line 11. The various men in the fields are capable of moving only in two directions. In this particular way of playing a game with the present invention four of the players use the fields 3, 4, 5 and 6, and the fifth player features lines 9 and 10 co-act with the side fields for producing a structure which causes the game to be layed properly in a certain manner. In p aying the game known as checkers or other similar games usually only two can play at onetime, but according to the present invention the principles of these former games have been embodied in a single board which will present substantially the same interest as presented in these former games while allowing a variety of numbers of players to play at the same time. Additional interest has also been provided by multiplying the players as the same will naturally cause a numberof moves to be watched by each player instead of the moves of a single opponent.

What I claim is A game comprising a plurality of movable men, a central checkered section, a plurality of side checkered sections arranged so that men on the side sections may move on L to the central section, and means arranged on the central section for dividing the same into as many parts as there are side sections so as to control or limit the amount of movement of the men from the side sections on the central section.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses GEORGE B. SMITH. 

